Vida Vegan Con

We put out the call. We read the submissions. We talked. We made spreadsheets. We talked some more. We used and abused a dry-erase board… You simply cannot imagine how hard it was for us to narrow down our speaker lineup. Such amazing talent. Such fantastic voices. Why can’t Vida Vegan Con be a week long?! (Seriously, Google, how about sponsoring us?)

But we’ve done it, and now we can’t wait to share it with you! Each week we’ll feature a handful of speakers, with a teaser of what sort of expertise they’ll be sharing with you (to supplement the class topics sneak peek we posted last week).

As in past years, we’ve curated this lineup of activists, authors, smartypantses, and other leaders in their fields to share with you their skills, their unique voices, and their ability to inspire.

An overwhelming crowd favorite from VVC2013, Susan will be teaching us post-processing for food photography—how to fix almost anything with software. She’ll also be sharing teaching duties in a class on monetizing your blog.

New to VVC, Sasha is a veteran filmmaker who was recently a producer and shooter (the camera kind!) on a little show called “Whale Wars” on Animal Planet. Sasha will be presenting on video and film as activism through storytelling. Get ready to get inspired!

Ginny’s back for her third round of VVC, and we couldn’t be more honored to bring you arguably the best-respected voice in vegan nutrition. This year she’ll be talking about a super hot topic, preventing ex-vegans.

Tashina has become the go-to resource for vegan cosmetics and bodycare and we’re glad to welcome her to her first time speaking at VVC. She’ll be teaching us about the difference between cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics, what to look for, what questions to ask, and who you can trust.

Cookbook author, podcaster, and the 2013 Vida Vegan Galarama host, Brian is presenting his first VVC class this year. He’ll be breaking down social media and teaching us how to tweet like you give a damn.

There you have it, round one, with so much more to come! Ready to register? Especially as we announce speakers, these tickets are gonna go fast. Put in for your vacation time and reserve your spot today!

First of all, a big THANK YOU to everyone who bought Early Bird tickets, inclusive- and double-inclusive weekend tickets, and contributed to our Vida Vegan Membership Drive. Y’all ROCK.

And now, with Early Bird tickets sold out and speakers now confirmed, get ready for the next step… general registration is now open.

Tickets to this three-day, full-weekend event that now includes the first ever Friday Vegan Bazaar are available now—click here for more info and to grab your spot. May 29-31, 2015, is gonna be a blast and we can’t wait to see you there!

We’re a few weeks into our Membership Drive, and on behalf of Vida Vegan HQ, I’m so happy to welcome all who have signed up. We’ll start sending out welcome packs to those eligible in just a couple of weeks. So far we’ve got great stuff from Field Roast, Obsessive Confection Disorder, Peanut Butter & Co, and Tofurky…and there’s more to come! And we’ll be running our first member feature on the blog this month—we can’t wait!

Really, we want to thank you for the support. We don’t have angel investors or corporate backing or anything, so it’s between you and us to keep this going and to launch new projects. We considered doing a crowdfunder but figured this would be the better route, just grouping the fundraising with our Membership launch and Early Bird ticket sales, which we’ve wanted to do for a while now.

We’re learning so much about you through those profiles of yours: what kind of tech equipment you’re into, favorite classes of past VVC’ers, and how many of you are already vegan or workin’ on it—super helpful as we build our VVC III agenda, but also for future programs and projects. Again, we’re only here because of you, so the more we can connect with you the better.

For those who haven’t signed up, you’ve got until July 31 to grab these bonuses. But be warned: Some of the perks are limited and close to selling out…like the Early Bird registration spots and individual inclusive packages did. We do still have a couple of the double-inclusives left, so if you’ve got a friend registering and would like to share a 2-queen-bed hotel room, check it out. (And if that’s not going to work for you, mark your calendar: Regular Vida Vegan Conference registration opens August 1.)

If you can’t attend the conference but still want to support what we do, we’ve got benefits like online shout-outs, e-books, blog features, and postcards with love from Austin. Or you can check out our online store and pick up a t-shirt or water bottle. Thank you!

Other pots on the stove:Don’t forget, this weekend is our first Vida Vegan Google Hangout. Sunday, July 6, at noon PST, join us online for an hour of chit-chat. We want to see new and old faces! Connect with each other. Let us know what’s happening with you. Hit us up with questions you have about VVC or anything else we’ve got going on.

Oh, and our open speaker application period ends July 9—so if you’ve been working on your idea, time to button it up and send it on in! We want to hear from you!

Like this:

If you received yesterday’s official VVHQ newsletter, then you’re already in the know. But for the rest of you, we’ve got some pretty big news (and subscribe here for the first look next time). So let’s get to it!

Vida Vegan Con III (or #VVCIII, if that’s how you see the world) will be in…

Austin, Texas. May 29-31, 2015.

That’s right, after hosting two glorious, action-packed conferences in our home city (and vegan wonderland) of Portland, we’re taking this show on the road. Janessa, Jess, and I (Michele) have spent over a year scouting about for the perfect city and space in an exciting, happening vegan community to rival our little vegan mecca.

We’ll have loads of information on all things Austin, including:

lodging & travel tips (getting to and around Austin)

our favorite grub (lots of budget eats)

just where and when all our conference happenings will be—because you know we’re gonna try to jam as much Vida Vegan and Austin as we can into this double-stuffed weekend.

So when can I register?!

Official, regular registration opens August 1, 2014, BUT we’ve got a special little Early Bird action going on as part of our next announcement:

MEMBERSHIP DRIVEMuch, much more info to come right around the corner, but Early Bird discounted registration and a very limited availability of more-inclusive weekend packages will be part of this program to make stronger connections among our community. It’s a mutual support system, with some really cool perks for you and a more open line of communication for us. Seriously, sit tight and stay tuned. We’ll hip you to everything you need to know before the program opens (and the Early Bird options are available) on June 13.

So can I be a speaker?!

Once again, we’ll have an entirely open application process, but it will be fiercer than ever. Based on attendee feedback, we’ll have more specialized presentations, panels, and hands-on workshops, which means fewer multi-speaker classes. More details to come, but start preparing your submission now—we’ll be looking for thoughtful, original proposals. The application window will be open May 9–July 9.

Hello, hello! Vida Vegan Headquarters is back with some really big news that will hopefully bring even more folks to future Vida Vegan Cons!

We’re introducing the new Vida Vegan Street Team, and all are welcome to join!

Trust me, your friendly organizers are no strangers to budgeting (here’s something you don’t see on Instagram: all the dang bowls of clean-out-the-fridge lentil soup I eat), and we totally get that registration costs are simply not in everyone’s budget. Once again, we will be offering full registration scholarships and relying on some very special assistants as we run around a new city, but we wanted to make it possible to volunteer and actually attend all the classes you want. The Vida Vegan Street Team concept is here to make that happen.

In return, based on the number of hours and type of activity you’re able to contribute over 2014-2015, Vida Vegan offers a special token of our appreciation: a point system to earn big discounts—and potentially cover the entire cost of registration for Vida Vegan Con III. Full details over here.

Interested? Read that link above and sign up by filling out this quick form. Potential speakers are welcome to come on board!

Oh, okay. We bet you’re wondering and we’re this close to announcing the GIANT news of just when and where our third conference will take place. We can’t say it seriously enough: if you’re signed up for our newsletter, you will hear it first!